


Wonderland

by Gypsywriter135



Category: Ghost - Mystery Skulls (Music Video), Mystery Skulls (Band)
Genre: Always, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, OT3, One Shot Collection, always man, asexual!arthur
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-04 21:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3090668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gypsywriter135/pseuds/Gypsywriter135
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You can hear it in the silence</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 100. WC: New Years

**Author's Note:**

> I found a list of 100 OT3 prompts, so of course I'm going to write them. I've been overwhelmed by OT3 feels lately anyways, so I guess it makes sense.
> 
> Gonna be a wild ride, this one. Enjoy!
> 
> As usual, not beta'd or proof read.

Vivi turned to the boys as the sixty second count began on the television before them. She grinned, noticing the redness around Arthur’s cheeks, making his almost non-existent freckles come out like stars. He held a bottle of beer in one hand and was resting his cheek against the other, elbow on the arm of the couch. He was watching the screen with disinterest, fingers playing with the rim of the bottle.

Lewis was in the middle, not so red and much more purple, feeding off Vivi’s own excitement. He caught her gaze with his own and smiled back.

"It’s almost here!" she squealed, hands twisting her own beer bottle around.

"I know!" Lewis exclaimed. He looked happy, his perfect teeth showing in his perfect smile.

"Oh, god, this year was so awesome, I dunno how next year is gonna top it!"

"I don’t know if I’d call this year awesome," Arthur spoke up quietly.

Vivi’s smiled dropped. “Oh, don’t be a party pooper, Arthur. You had fun.”

He shrugged, turning his head to look at her. “Yeah, well… I wouldn’t call it awesome.”

Lewis jostled him in the side. “You’re ruining the fun, man.”

"Sorry."

Vivi watched as he took a swig of his drink, laying his head back on his hand with a sigh. Mystery raised his head from his spot at their feet, cocking his head curiously. She snapped, pointing to her lap, and the pup’s ears perked up, tail beginning to wag. He immediately got up and hopped up onto her with a happy bark.

"There," she said, scratching him behind the ear. His tongue lolled out in pure bliss. "Now we’re all here."

"Thirty seconds!" Lewis cried, planting both his feet down on the floor and leaning forward. He smacked Arthur on the knee, causing the blond to jump slightly. "Come on, Art! At least be excited for the new year!"

With a deadpanned expression, Arthur raised a finger in the air and twirled it around a few times. “Whoo,” he said.

Lewis frowned. “What the hell, dude?”

Arthur shrugged.

"Oh, I know! We need champagne!" Vivi said. Maybe if she gave Arthur more alcohol, his mood would pick; he was usually a happy drunk, once this phase of quietness passed.

She reached over the side of her own couch arm, where a bottle of bubbly and three glasses sat. She quickly gathered them up, bottle already uncorked, and dragged them to her. Mystery scooted over to Lewis to give her room.

Quickly, as the countdown on the screen hit twenty, she poured the drinks, handing two glasses to Lewis. The larger man gave one to Arthur, who took it without comment.

"Alright, quick, one good thing that happened this year!" Vivi said, pouring herself her own glass. "Me first! Lewis and me started dating!"

"Aw, you took mine…" Lewis whined. He scowled. "Fine. I got the best girlfriend ever."

"Copy cat," Vivi teased, sticking her tongue out. Lewis grinned and she leaned over to look at Arthur, surprised to see a pained expression on his face. She frowned, gently elbowing Lewis and subtly jerked her head to Arthur.

Lewis followed her gaze, and she saw the moment it hit him. His face lit up and he turned back to Vivi with a small smile, nodding.

"What about you, Arthur?" Vivi asked. "Fifteen seconds!"

"I got the van working," Arthur replied with disinterest. He raised his champagne glass slightly. "Yay for me, good job everybody, let’s do better next year."

Vivi stuck her tongue out at him as the countdown hit ten on the screen. She shrieked.

"Ten!" she cried, sitting up more. Mystery let out a happy little yip at the excitement.

"Nine!" Lewis continued, shooting her a smirk.

"Eight!" Vivi squirmed on the couch.

"Seven! Come on, Arthur!"

"No," Arthur’s unimpressed voice silently rang. He placed his empty beer bottle on the floor.

"Five!" Lewis shouted at the same time Vivi did.

"Four!" Vivi stood up, eyes sparkling.

"Three!" Lewis followed her, Mystery tumbling easily from his lap.

"Two! Arthur,  _come on_!” They inched closer together.

“ _ONE_!” Lewis and Vivi screamed, practically jumping. Mystery barked as confetti on screen was released and the ball dropped, signifying the start of the new year. Vivi cheered, gulping down her champagne quickly and turning to Lewis.

Her boyfriend had done the same thing and they leaned in closer together. She caught movement from the corner of her eye in the direction of the couch as fireworks on TV. Their noses brushed, and Vivi smiled. Lewis nodded once, and, as one, they spun on their heels and turned to Arthur.

"Happy New Year!" they cried.

Vivi caught Arthur’s surprised face before her eyes closed and her lips met his left cheek and Lewis’ met his right. She felt him stiffen beneath her, heard the glass hit the floor in his shock.

She and Lewis pulled away at the same time, grinning ear to ear as they watched Arthur stare at them, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. Slowly, he blinked, mouth opening and closing comically as he struggled to find words.

Vivi giggled, grabbing Lewis’ hand. His fingers linked with hers easily, and with her other hand, she reached out, grabbing Arthur’s and hauling him up. He stumbled as he stood, tripping over his feet, but Lewis steadied him easily, his free hand going to Arthur’s other one.

"Wha-" the blond stuttered.

"You don’t think we’d forget about you, did you, Art?" she asked, grinning.

He stammered incomprehensibly and Lewis tugged him closer. He pressed another kiss to Arthur’s forehead, gathering him to his chest.

Vivi pressed closer, letting go of their hands to wrap herself around Arthur. Lewis arms encircled them, and Vivi could feel Arthur frozen in place.

"…Guys…" Arthur said quietly, hesitantly, as if he were unsure that what had just happened was real.

Vivi scooted closer and silenced him with peck on the lips. “Happy New Years, Artie,” she whispered.

"Happy New Years, Arthur," Lewis echoed. He looked down at her then, and bent his head to press his lips against hers briefly.

"Yeah…" came Arthur’s breathless whisper from their embrace. "Yeah, uh… Happy New Years to… to you guys, too…"

Vivi smiled to herself.

Oh, yes, she thought, surrounded by her boys, this new year was going to be so much better than the one they just left behind.


	2. 91. WC: Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning's with her boys are only peaceful at the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd or proof read

Vivi stumbled into the kitchen, plopping herself down in her normal chair. She let her head fall forward with a soft thump onto the table and groaned softly.

A soft chuckle reached her ears and she looked through her messy bangs to see the back of her boyfriend; he was standing at the stove, silently stirring something in a fry pan.

“Lewis,” she moaned.

Her target merely glanced over his shoulder, flashing her an amused grin.

“Lewis,” she repeated.

“Vivi,” Lewis replied lightly.

Vivi raised her arms and let them flop onto the table beside her head, causing the miscellaneous objects on the surface to topple over or go flying. One of Arthur’s screws rolled to Vivi’s nose, barely touching it with its cool metal.

Lewis laughed, a sound that normally the young woman was all too thrilled to hear. But not now, not when she had just woken up and desperately needed caffeine. Preferably of the tea variety. And maybe some of that delicious whatever that Lewis was making; her mouth watered at the scent.

Because Lewis was a wonderful boyfriend, he turned off the burner of the stove that he was cooking at and turned around, reaching to the counter at his side and grabbing one of two mugs. He carefully set the glass in front of Vivi’s face where she still had half of it pressed to the table.

With all the effort she possessed, Vivi managed to raise herself up to a sitting position. She wrapped her hands around the cup, feeling the warmth seep into her frozen fingers and raised it to her lips, taking a cautious sip. She sighed happily when the warm liquid hit her mouth, just the perfect amount of cream and sugar in the tea.

Lewis really was perfect if he knew what her tea preferences were.

Of course, she couldn’t tell him that; he’d hold it above her for all eternity. So instead she sat in her seat, bare toes barely brushing the cool tile of the kitchen floor as Lewis turned back to the stove. 

“Arthur up yet?” he asked, letting the burner light. When the flame was the correct size, he added something else to the pan; it made a sizzling sound when he stirred it.

Watching his actions with rapt attention, Vivi shook her head. “No. But he will be soon once he figures out that neither of us are there.” 

Lewis hummed in response, shaking some spice into his recipe. Vivi moved her eyes from his hands, his huge, wonderful, amazing hands, and let them trail over his tan bare back. She took in the muscles and the way they flexed every so slightly when he cooked. When he turned to grab a plate from the cupboard above, she saw the small patch of hair that disappeared into his sleep pants.

He was beautiful, and Vivi loved him.

“Alright, ready for food?” 

A plate was set before her, and Vivi shook herself, cursing silently for staring. The twinkle in Lewis’ eyes told her that he had noticed.

She frowned at him and ignored it, setting her tea down and grabbing the fork that was presented to her. Looking at her plate, she was thrilled to see an omelet before her, some cheese and peppers and other little morsels spilling out of it and into the side of bacon that Lewis had piled onto the dish. 

“I love you,” she whispered, immediately digging into the meal.

Lewis laughed at her, leaning forward to press a kiss to her tangled hair. “I love you too.” 

There was a slight thump from the other side of the wall.

“And there’s Arthur,” Lewis muttered fondly, quickly turning to grab the second mug that sat on the countertop. 

When he returned to the doorway, Arthur shuffled in, robe draped over his shoulders on top of a too large t-shirt and plaid boxers. Vivi smirked at his little hamster slippers, shoveling more of the eggy goodness into her mouth.

Lewis was in front of him in seconds, shoving the mug of plain black coffee in his hands before steering the blond into the second seat at the table. Arthur sat down with a grunt, eyes still bleary, and stared at the cluttered mess.

As Lewis went to grab another plate for their boyfriend, Vivi swallowed her mouthful of food and reached over, gently guiding the coffee up to the man’s mouth.

Arthur let her without fuss and took a deep drink. He let out a soft hum when she let go, the mug lowering, his hands still holding tightly to it. 

Lewis set a plate for him and gently pried the other man’s fingers from the cup, setting in front of him and thrusting a fork into them instead. Vivi watched Lewis’ short stubby fingers guide Arthur’s long and slender ones around the utensil. She took another bite of her omelet as the taller man kissed Arthur’s nest of hair.

“Eat,” he murmured softly, before going to the sink and running water over the dishes.

Vivi giggled at Arthur as he gazed blankly at his own omelet. She swallowed and leaned forward, placing her hand over Arthur’s and steering the appendage to the plate, where she helped him scoop up his own forkful of food and then navigated the morsel to the blonde’s lips. 

Arthur’s lips closed around the food and she sat back, watching with amused fondness as he chewed and swallowed, a little more awareness came to his slender face.

Slowly, still sluggish from sleep, Arthur managed to take another bite. And another. And another.

When Vivi was sure that he was well on his way to eating his plate, she returned to her own food, quickly devouring it. She let out a happy little burp and leaned against the back of her chair, nursing the rest of her tea as she watched Lewis finish the dishes and Arthur eat.

They were completely different from each other, even just their mannerisms in the morning, but Vivi wouldn’t have it any other way. She smiled over the rim of her mug, Lewis turning off the faucet and spinning to look at them. He raised an eyebrow when he met her eyes and she shrugged, sipping at her drink.

He quickly joined them, sitting at the third and final seat at their small kitchen table. There was a giant glass of orange juice on his place and he took a swig of it. Arthur’s fork dropped to the plate and he reached forward, snatching his coffee and downing it in seconds.

Vivi twisted her mouth up. “That’s gross, Art.”

The blond set the mug back on the table and slumped in his seat. Vivi was happy to see his eyes clear of grogginess when he turned a deadpanned face towards her.

“But have you seen yourself in the mornings?” he asked, voice hoarse with a little sleep that still lingered.

She glared at him. “You’re no picnic yourself, you cheeto.”

He shrugged, lolling his head slightly, as he turned to Lewis. “How is it you’re god-like no matter the hour?”

Lewis smirked and shrugged. “Just lucky, I guess.”

“Whoever you sold your soul to in order to look that great is one lucky bitch,” Arthur said. “There more coffee?”

“In the pot.” 

Arthur nodded and stood up, grabbing his cup and shuffling over to the coffee pot, where he poured himself a new mug and turned to lean against the counter, watching Vivi and Lewis as he sucked down his second cup.

Vivi made another face. “How do you drink that without any cream or sugar?” she asked. She had to have cream and sugar in her tea, which was nowhere as bitter as the coffee that Arthur seemed to live off of.

“Like this,” Arthur replied, and holding her gaze, finished off what was left in his mug and got a third cup immediately. 

Vivi scowled at him and Lewis shifted in his seat. She glanced at him briefly.

“Whoa,” he said, frowning at their boyfriend. “How late were you up till last night? You usually only have two cups this early.”

Arthur shrugged, sipping much more slowly this time. “Three, four. Dunno.” 

Vivi narrowed her eyes. “Arthur.” He had promised recently that he would stop staying up that late working on his projects. It made his sleep schedule get horribly off balance, which affected her and Lewis a lot more than he thought; they never got a good night’s sleep until all three of them were in the bed.

“What?” he asked. “I’ve got coffee. And there’s Red Bull in the fridge at work, Lance keeps it stocked good.” 

“You can’t live your life on caffeine,” Lewis admonished. “You’re going to give yourself a heart attack.”

“Ah, you’re over reacting,” Arthur assured, sipping at the coffee.

“No, pretty sure I’m not.” 

“Not all of us can function with the nectar and manna from heaven.”

Vivi smirked, finishing off her tea. She set the mug on the table and adjusted her glasses. She let her eyes slide over the way Arthur was leaning against the counter, lower back holding all his weight as he crossed his ankles out in front of him. His orange robe hung off one shoulder as he gestured wildly to Lewis with his empty hand.

Her gaze wandered to the other man, sitting at the chair across from her, muscles rippling under taunt skin as he pointed to Arthur, giving some argument to Arthur’s explanation.

These nerds were hers. Hers. She was in love with the both of them, and the thought filled her with such warmth and happiness that she seriously worried about her heart bursting open with the feelings. They were her best friends, her confidants, her partners in crime and so much more.

She was the luckiest girl in the world. 

She was also late, according to the clock above the back door.

Her stomach turned and, making sure that Arthur was enthralled with his intense discussion about some compound in caffeine that Lewis was clearly having a difficult time grasping and still trying to argue against it, she slipped off her chair. Quietly, she sneaked out the kitchen.

Vivi made it to the doorway before Arthur caught on.

“Hey, Vivi, where’re you…” he trailed off when the clock chimed the hour and his eyes widened. 

In a flash, Vivi took off, running to the bathroom.

“Vivi, no!” Arthur called behind her. She could hear him scramble after her, tripping over his slippers. A soft thump followed by a groan reached her ears and she smirked to herself.

“You snooze, you lose, Art!” she cried, skidding into the bathroom on her sock-clad feet and slammed the door behind her and locking it quickly. She held her hands against it, feeling Arthur slam against it with a muffled “oomf!”. 

He banged on it and Vivi smirked. 

“Vivi, come on, I need to shower!”

“So do I!” she told him through the wood. 

“You take forever in the shower!” 

“You take an eternity in the bathroom gelling your stupid hair!” 

“You can shower while I do that!”             

“Nuh uh! Tough luck, Dorito boy! I was here first!”

She grinned as Arthur continued to complain, hearing Lewis laughing loudly in the background of the other room. 

Yup. They were hers. And she wouldn’t trade them for anything. 

Not even for their morning shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't like this, but I'm getting better at writing Vivi, so that's an improvement, I guess.
> 
> Arthur is me in the morning: unable to function until coffee is ingested.


	3. 37. Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis was not a fan of the cold. So why, exactly, was he out here skating again?
> 
> Oh, that's right...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A prompt from a while ago, that I felt better suited for here than A Million Lies, anon asked for a cute little Lewthur fic. And I got this idea earlier today and it fit for both the prompt they gave me and the 100 OT3 Prompt list, so...
> 
> Not EXACTLY what they wanted, but...
> 
> Not beta'd or proof read.

Lewis was not a fan of the cold.

He much preferred the hot, sunshine weather to the cold, snowy tundra that Arthur had seemed adamant to drag him and Vivi to for the evening. It wasn’t even snowing, it was simply just ice. Cold, unforgiving ice that Lewis was reminded of every time his buttocks collided with the sheet as his feet slipped and slid.

How Vivi had managed to somehow get away with stepping out and grabbing them hot chocolate from the _extremely_ long line, he would never know.

As it was, Lewis grumbled at his sore bottom and cold hands, shivering on the freezing ice as people skated around him. He hated this. He hated this with a fiery passion that, if he had possessed the power, would be enough to melt this stupid rink into a nice, cozy hot tub.

People whizzed by him as he glared at the chipped ice in front of him. He didn’t look up when a familiar pair of skates came to a stop in front of him. Instead, he crossed his arms and glowered at the offending shoes instead.

“You gonna sit there the rest of the night?”

“Maybe,” Lewis replied, aware that he was behaving like an undisciplined child but couldn’t bring himself to care.

A magical chuckled reached his ears and he tried to resist looking up. Really, he did. But the sound was beautiful and he _had_ to, so he raised his eyes to see a hand extended to him. Connected to the hand was Arthur, looking down at him with an amused smile and a twinkle in his eyes.

Grumbling, Lewis took the offer and allowed Arthur to haul him up. He flailed when his balance was disrupted and his arms pin-wheeled before hands were on his shoulders, steadying him. 

When he was able to remain upright without his feet trying to knock him down, Lewis met Arthur’s eyes, took in the playful smile that adorned the blonde’s slender face, which was glowing pink with cold and made the splatter of freckles stand out.

Lewis scowled. “I hate you.” 

Arthur erupted into laughter, eyes crinkling. “Nah.”

“Okay, fine,” the taller man relented. “But I hate this. Why are we here, and why does Vivi get to avoid this humiliation.”

“Vivi can skate just fine,” Arthur said. “She’s just grabbing us something to get a little warmed up.”

“Wouldn’t need to be warmed up if we would have just stayed inside like normal people,” Lewis grumbled. He narrowed his eyes at Arthur. “I hate the cold.”

“You wouldn’t be cold if you’d stop falling on your ass every time you took a step forward,” Arthur told him.

“I have a better idea: let’s go meet up with Vivi.”

“And wait in line? No, thanks!”

“Arthur,” Lewis whined.

His boyfriend laughed, and Lewis frowned. On the one hand, he really just wanted to keep that happy, relaxed look on Arthur’s face; it wasn’t common that the other man was this carefree. It was a good look for him, and Lewis was loathe to see it go.

On the other, he really hated the cold.

“Okay, fine,” Arthur chuckled. “Just let me help you make one lap around the rink, and then we’ll go with Vivi.”

“Or we could just go now,” Lewis tried.

“One lap,” Arthur smiled.

Lewis let out a groan and Arthur’s grin widened. He moved his grip from Lewis’ shoulders to clasp at his gloved hands. Even through the fabric, Lewis’ digits soaked up the warmth that Arthur’s mittens were radiating, matching the orange bobbled hat on the man’s head. 

Sighing, Lewis nodded.

“Okay, first off,” Arthur said, “don’t lock your knees.”

Trying to follow Arthur’s directions, Lewis attempted to unlock his legs from their frozen position. He managed to succeed, only to tense when Arthur gave a small tug on his hands.

“Whoa, man,” he said. “relax.”

“I’m gonna fall, Arthur,” Lewis replied in what was definitely not a panicked tone.

“I’m not going to let you fall,” Arthur told him confidently. His hands tightened around Lewis’. “I’m right here.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Lewis nodded and took a deep breath, watching it mist out in front of him when he exhaled. He took in Arthur’s determined look and loosened up a little.

“Good. We’re gonna move now.” 

His grip tightened a little more and Arthur gave him a reassuring smile before easily skating slowly backwards, gently tugging Lewis after him. Lewis clenched his eyes shut, sure that he was about to fall any second, and he braced himself for collision with the ice once more.

When his butt did not, in fact, connect with the cold, unforgiving frozen pond he was on, he snapped his eyes open in shock.

He was even more surprised to see that he had moved a few feet from his last fall.

Arthur laughed at his expression. “See? I’ve got you.”

Lewis smiled at him.

“Wanna try moving your feet a bit now?”

“Sure,” Lewis agreed breathlessly, still awed by his progress.

Arthur grinned up at him and nodded. “Okay. I’m gonna stop for a moment, we’ll practice, and then we’ll continue, right?”

At Lewis affirmation, their movement came to a halt. 

“Okay, I’m not gonna let go. I just want you to slowly slide one foot forward a little.”

Looking down, Lewis gave the command an attempt, slowly using the skate to glide his foot forward. He panicked when he felt his balance shift and jerked, sending his body forward. 

But, he didn’t fall. Instead, he felt sturdy hands steady him and he cracked an eye open.

Arthur gave him a soft smile. “See? I told you I wouldn’t let you fall.” 

Lewis stared at him, the night sky behind the blond and the lights of the rink making him look like he had a halo. The stars reflected behind him, twinkling and blinking and allowing Arthur’s freckles to pop on his face in a canvas all their own.

His breath caught.

“Wanna try again?”

Lewis nodded once, unable to look away for a moment before he mentally shook himself. He glanced down, concentrating as he carefully, slowly, pushed one foot forward.

He was surprised when he didn’t stumble and snapped his head up, drinking in the pleased look on Arthur’s face.

“Good!” the man exclaimed. “Okay, now move the other one forward.” 

Following directions, Lewis did just that, and was flabbergasted when he remained upright. 

“Hey, good job!” Arthur praised. “Now, I’m gonna move back a little, and then you do the same thing again, okay?” 

“Just don’t let go,” Lewis said, violet eyes wide and boring into Arthur’s amber ones.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Arthur replied, and scooted backwards a few inches.

Cautiously, Lewis repeated his previous action, thrilled when he still didn’t fall.

“Awesome!” Arthur cried, smiling blinding. “Okay, now I want you to move your foot when I move mine back.”

Following the instructions, Lewis moved forward a bit more, and grinned at his boyfriend. Arthur matched his expression.

At a glacial pace, everyone zipping past them, Lewis and Arthur made their way around the rink, Lewis focusing solely on his feet and not falling and Arthur’s excited and proud look. 

Before he knew it, they had made it all the way back to the half-doors that marked the entrance and exit. Lewis blinked.

“See?” Arthur said excitedly, cheeks rosy. “I told you that you could do it!”

“Not without you,” Lewis told him.

“Nah, man,” Arthur grinned happily. “You did that all your own.”

Lewis shook his head. “Arthur, I-”

“Are you boys ready for some hot chocolate?” Vivi’s chipper voice asked.

Whatever moment the two of them had had dwindled as Arthur turned his head to the side to smile at their girlfriend. Lewis followed his gaze, taking in Vivi’s equally pink cheeks under her ear-flap hat. She was holding three steaming cup of hot cocoa. 

“Yeah!” Arthur cried, smiling wide. He turned to Lewis. “Come on, I’ll help you off the ice.”

It was easier than Lewis had expected, maneuvering from the ice to the concrete. Arthur helped him over to a bench and they removed their skates, Vivi handing them their cups once their boots were back on their feet. She plopped on the other side of Arthur, squishing him in the middle.

“This was fun,” she said. She licked her lips and Lewis watched with rapt attention. “We should do stuff like this more often.”

Lewis groaned at the thought. He would much rather just spend the evenings curled up on the couch at home with a book, but Vivi and Arthur were only going to put up with that for so long. 

Hence their late night ice skating.

Arthur pat his shoulder comfortingly and sipped at his cocoa. “Don’t worry, Lew, we’ll leave soon as we’re done with the drinks.”

“Big baby,” Vivi teased without malice. 

Lewis scowled, cold hands wrapped around his Styrofoam cup, breathing in the comforting scent of chocolate and warmth as Vivi and Arthur chatted beside him.

He wanted to go home. He wanted to take a hot shower and bury himself in their king-sized bed, a bad movie playing and Arthur and Vivi falling asleep in his arms. He was not built for the cold, was not meant to spend more time outside than it took to get from the car to the house or store.

But as he took another drink of his rapidly cooling hot chocolate, he also recalled the joy and happiness on their faces when they were on the ice. He especially couldn’t get rid of the dazzling smile that Arthur had given him as they went around the rink, hands strong and sturdy and not shaking like they often were more than not. The pleased look as Arthur supported him for a change, instead of the other way around.

Lewis was loathe to see that expression vanish.

“Hey, you listening, big guy?”

Refocusing, Lewis looked down at his partners. Arthur and Vivi were watching him with amusement.

“Sorry, what?” 

Vivi snickered.

“I was saying,” she said, “that I wanted to get some of those cheese fries to take home with us. Mind waiting a bit longer?”

Steeling himself, Lewis made a quick decision. “Sure. Maybe Arthur can help me actually skate by myself while we wait.”

Arthur sucked in a breath and Vivi gave him a soft smile and a small nod. Lewis glanced at her before looking back at Arthur.

“Really?” Arthur asked. He frowned. “I mean, you don’t have to. We can just hang out here and wait…”

Lewis shook his head. “No, I… I want to learn. I want you to teach me.”

Vivi stood, clapping a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “You two have fun,” she said. “I’ll probably be a while, so you’ve got lots of time.”

Arthur stared at Lewis with his mouth agape.

Lewis gave him a shy smile.

The blond visibly shook himself and returned it, glancing down at the ground. “Uh… uh, yeah, sure… I mean, if you want…”

Lewis leaned forward and grasped Arthur’s chin, tilting his head up to press a chaste kiss to his lips. When he pulled away, Arthur was even more flushed than before.

“I wouldn’t want anyone else,” he whispered.

And as they stepped back out on the ice, as Arthur patiently helped him skate, and as he took a few feet by himself, Lewis couldn’t take his eyes off the way Arthur absolutely glowed.

So maybe the cold wasn’t as bad as he made it out to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This was really just an excuse for me draw to them wearing winter gear. Also, it's literally Snowmagedeon outside where I am so I was a little inspired.)


	4. 43. Dress Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis has a concert to perform, and Arthur and Vivi are running late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably extremely choppy because it was written in three parts and at different times. I apologize in advance.
> 
> Not proof-read or beta'd, as per usual.

Lewis paced in front of the couch, hands behind his back, as Mystery watched from the couch, head pillowed on his front paws. His coattail flaps swished behind him, Mystery yawned and shut his eyes, and Lewis glanced at his watch for the millionth time.

“Ugh, where are they?” he muttered to himself. He glanced over at Mystery. “They were supposed to be ready five minutes ago.”

Mystery cracked open an eye to glare blearily at the tall man. Lewis stopped his frantic pacing before him, looking down at him.

“Why can’t they be on time just once?” he groaned, running his hands down his face. “Just once. That’s all I ask. I don’t think that’s too much, is it?”

In response, Mystery got to his feet and shook himself. He gave Lewis an unreadable look and jumped down from the couch, padding out of the room and down the hallway, disappearing around the corner.

Standing where he was left, Lewis blinked, before returning to his pacing. 

“You can’t even get a dog to remain organized,” he muttered to himself. “Seriously, just be on time, I’m going to miss my slot…” 

“Oh, will you stop moaning and groaning?” a melodious voice floated towards him.

Turning, the purple-haired man’s breath caught in his chest.

Lewis’ eyes nearly popped out of his head as Vivi made her way down the hall, her long, sequined blue evening gown swishing slightly as she walked. The lights caught the blue sparkles and made her glitter, blue peep-toed shoes barely visible under the fabric.

His breath caught in his throat at the strapless shoulders, the necklace Arthur had made her hanging delicately from her silky neck while the bracelet Lewis had gotten her for Christmas last year dangled elegantly from her wrist.

Her hair was piled high on her head, her ever-present headband missing for once, her pink-tinted glasses gone from her face. Clasped in her hands in front of her was a silver handbag. 

“You’ll get to play, stop worrying,” Vivi told him, stopping just before him. “You’re the star of the concert, they’re not going to start without you.”

“Wow,” Lewis gasped, eyes taking in the beautiful woman before him. “You look… wow…”

Smiling, a slight and rare blush dusting her cheeks, Vivi smacked his bicep. “You look pretty wow yourself.”

Lewis returned the grin, bending down to kiss her deeply. She tasted like mint toothpaste and smelled of concealer and a hint of perfume. Her eyelashes, elongated with mascara, fluttered against his skin. 

Vivi hummed when they pulled away. “You’re lucky I haven’t put my lipstick on yet,” she told him.

“It was a chance I was willing to take,” Lewis commented, smirking.

Gently patting his face, Vivi kissed him again before heading to the table in the corner, plopping herself down and began to sift through her purse, taking out an ecto-detector, an EMF reader that was a pen, and a small gadget that Lewis had never seen before. She the pulled out a lipstick tube and began to apply it expertly.

“Shouldn’t you be paying attention to where that stuff’s going?” Lewis asked, amused as he watched.

“Why should I when I’m just going to have to reapply it later?” Vivi countered, giving him a sly look.

Snickering, Lewis’s attention was quickly caught elsewhere.

The squeaking of the back screen reached their ears and the rickety old door slammed shut seconds before Arthur’s dirt-smeared face greeted them. He smiled, slipping out of his shoes and setting them to the side. His eyes widened when they fell on Vivi, and he whistled when the amber orbs snapped to Lewis.

“Wow, looking good!” he wriggled his eyebrows.

“Wish we could say the same,” Vivi said, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Shrugging, Arthur turned towards back to her. “Sorry. Had to work a double shift.”

“Tonight? Really, Arthur?” Vivi raised an eyebrow as her foot began to tap the floor.

Averting his eyes, suddenly looking shy, Arthur gave another shrug. “Well, I mean… I…”

“Where is your suit?” Lewis practically screeched. He looked aghast at Arthur’s dirtied state, eyes huge.

Arthur looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck with his greasy hand, smearing more oil on his skin. Lewis cringed. “Yeah, uh…” he said, glancing away. “I’m not sure… I mean… I don’t think it’s a good idea if I go…”

Vivi spun from where she was rummaging through her purse, an ecto-detector clasped in her hand. “What do you mean you’re not going?”

The blond stared down at his feet, scuffing his socks on the hardwood floor, ducking his head. “It’s just… people are gonna look at us weird and these are important people, Lew, for that scholarship you want, and I don’t want to cause problems.

Lewis was shaking his head. “No, we already talked about it, the society said that it’s fine.” 

Arthur’s shoulder’s hunched up around his ears and he dug his hands into the pockets of his jumper.

“But you and Vivi will look better together,” he muttered so Lewis had to strain to hear. “I’ll just be that awkward third wheel.”

Vivi let out an audible sigh and spun around in her chair, lipstick still held delicately between her fingers. “Arthur, we talked about this.”

“Yeah, I know,” Arthur replied, a slight flush. “But other people won’t see it that way.”

“You need to stop worrying about what other people think,” Vivi told him, frowning.

“Easier said than done when the two of you look like royalty and I’m the ragtag beanpole that follows you around.”

“Maybe if you took a shower and got in the suit I bought you,” Lewis interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes, “then you’d feel a little better about going out to fancy places with us.” 

“Lewis!” Vivi hissed sharply.

Arthur’s shoulders dropped and Lewis, cracking open his eyes a bit, felt a stab of guilt strike him. He sighed, letting his arms drop to his sides. 

“Sorry, Arthur,” he muttered. “I’m just a little nervous.” 

“It’s okay,” the blond said softly. He looked up and gave Lewis a sheepish smile. “You just have fun tonight, I’ll try and wait up for you guys.” 

“Uh uh,” Vivi spoke up. “Don’t even try that.”

With a huff, Arthur crossed is arms. “I don’t want to go,” he murmured. “I hate getting dressed up.”

“I don’t care,” Lewis told him. “You’re going, and we’re running late already. Just go shower and change, we can talk more about it on the way.”

“Can I just meet you guys there?”

“Nice try, buddy,” Vivi snorted, turned back to her compact mirror, reapplying her lipstick. 

With a shake of his head, Lewis pointed at the hallway leading to the bathroom. “Just go shower, Arthur.”

“But-”

“But nothing!” Lewis exclaimed.

Arthur yelped, hurrying past the annoyed man and down the hall.

“And make it snappy, we were supposed to leave five minutes ago!”

His only answer was the slamming of a door. Lewis was silent for a moment, listening, before the sound of running water reached his ears and he sighed, shoulders slumping.

“Oh, relax, Lew,” Vivi told him softly. “You know he hates these things.”

Sighing once more, Lewis fell onto the couch, spreading his arms across the back and tilting his head back, letting his eyes slide shut. He heard the click clack of Vivi’s heels on the floor before the seat next to him dipped slightly. He rolled his head slightly and cracked open his eyes, looking down at her.

Vivi smiled up at him and laid a hand on his knee, squeezing gently. “We’ll get there in time don’t worry.”

“That’s not what’s bothering me,” Lewis said. 

Vivi raised an eyebrow at him.

“We’ve told him multiple times that it’s okay.”

The blue-haired girl nodded once, comfortingly swirling her thumb on his kneecap. “I know,” she said softly. “But it’s going to take a while to unlearn that kind of thinking.” 

Lewis knew what she was talking about, knew without any other details the reference she was making. He nodded.

“I thought we were making progress,” he whispered. “He’s usually better about these events.” 

“Not really,” Vivi replied, moving her hand from his knee to his own hand, wrapping her smaller one around his. She leaned into him, careful of her makeup. “When we go out normally, it’s to low key restaurants or the hardware store or the arcade. Big events like these?” She tilted her head up to look him in the eyes. “Where a lot of people don’t understand us, don’t want to understand us? It makes him nervous.” 

“But they really are okay with it,” Lewis insisted, leaning his head over on top of Vivi’s, squeezing her hand. “They were really excited to meet you both.”

Vivi hummed in response. “And that’s a relief. But that doesn’t change the fact that Arthur’s still wary about it… he kind of has a right to be.”

There was the sound of the water turning off and, a moment later, the door squeaked open.

“You’ve got three minutes, Artie!” Lewis called.

The quick pitter patter of bare feet on the wood floors told of Arthur’s rush to the bedroom before the door slammed shut and nothing but silence reigned.

Vivi shifted in her seat and leaned up to gently press a kiss to Lewis’ cheek. “Things will be okay,” she whispered, reaching up to rub away the lipstick mark she had made. She smiled at him. “He’ll warm up as the night goes on, you’ll see.”

Letting out an over dramatic sigh, Lewis let his chin drop to his chest. “Fine,” he said with a small smile.

Chuckling, Vivi climbed out of the couch and stood, heading over the kitchen table and rummaging through her purse. “Now I have to put my lips back on because I kissed you.” 

Head snapping up to look at her, Lewis smirked. “And whose fault is that?” 

Producing a compact mirror and narrowing her eyes at him through the reflective surface, Vivi eyed him. Lewis smiled at her cheekily as she whipped out her lipstick like a light saber and proceeded to firmly reapply the color.

Snickering, Lewis tipped his head back again. “Come on, Arthur!” His throat strained as he shouted. “Let’s go!”

The door opened and the sound of dress shoes on the floor echoed around them. Lewis scowled, waiting as Arthur rounded the corner.

His breath caught in his chest as he glanced at his boyfriend, immediately sitting up and turning around on the couch, looking over the back. He ran wide eyes from the bottom to the top of Arthur.

Gone were the ratty tennis shoes. The blonde’s long legs were visible through pants that didn’t drag on the ground, a shirt that actually fit him wrapped around his torso. It was covered not by a silly, puffy orange vest, but a pressed suit jacket hung perfectly on his shoulders, buttoned delicately in the front. Even his hair was different, the blond locks slicked back with only half as much gel as he usually used.

Completing the look was a sideways bowtie that Arthur was still fiddling with. 

Lewis heard Vivi suck in a breath and Arthur looked up, turning pleading eyes to her.

“Viv,” he whined, lower lip jutting out in a small pout. “Help me.”

The woman seemed to shake herself and cracked a small smile, setting down her purse on the table and striding forward, arms already rising.

She quickly set to work on the tricky tie, Arthur’s arms dropping like wet noodles to his sides.

Lewis still hadn’t looked away, eyes as big as saucers as they remained transfixed on the blond. He had never seen Arthur look like that before, had never seen him look so proper and put together and handsome. Lewis was in awe, because he had always known Arthur was attractive, in a grease monkey sort of way. He’d seen the other man shirtless before, seen him walk around the garage in nothing but his jumpsuit tied at the waste and a wife beater on.

But he had never seen Arthur like this before.

The black suit made his pale skin seem creamy in color, the form-fitting close hugging his body in all the right ways that baggy t-shirts and dirty jeans did not. The jacket came to his wrists, and it was then that Lewis realized he had never seen Arthur wear long sleeves before, a regular furnace that never wore more than a scarf, hat, and pair of mittens.

And the hair, oh god, Lewis couldn’t tear his eyes away. It was slicked back to perfection, the two pesky dark strands standing straight up against all odds and yet still maintaining the elegant look that Arthur was sporting. There were no spikes, the golden locks held in place by a handful of gel and framed Arthur’s head perfectly in a way that Lewis wouldn’t be forgetting any time soon.

Arthur seemed to sense his stare and amber eyes slid over to him. Lewis blinked at the sudden eye contact, snapping his mouth shut.

“There.” Vivi broke the spell that surrounded them, taking a step back from Arthur and admiring her handiwork. She smoothed out his shoulders and ran her hands down his sides, adjusting his jacket slightly. “You should be all set now.”

The younger man sighed , already tugging at the collar of his shirt. Lewis was mesmerized by his Adam’s apple as it bobbed slightly as Arthur swallowed.

“I hate these monkey suits,” he muttered, stretching his neck out. He turned his gaze back to Lewis, giving a small scowl. “Why do you have to do the fancy things?”

Vivi grinned and tapped Arthur’s stomach. “Because neither of us will do them, and you know it.”

“How is that a bad thing?”

“Because then we wouldn’t get to go out in dress clothes!”

“Yeah, still not seeing a downside.”

“I like wearing dresses.”

“Wanna switch?”

Vivi laughed and tapped Arthur gently on the nose before pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Maybe later.”

A light blush graced Arthur’s high cheekbones and he pulled away, once more meeting Lewis’ gaze. He gave a slight cough and stuffed his hands in his dress pants pockets, much like he often did when he was unsure.

“Lew?”

Lewis felt his stomach flip. He continued to stare from his seat.

Arthur flicked his eyes away. “Am I… Is this okay?”

Slowly, silently, Lewis rose from the couch, walking around the side and approaching Arthur. Vivi stepped out of the way with a small grin, giving him more room.

The shorter man avoided his eyes as he approached, and Lewis noted the tense shoulders, a sure sign that Arthur was conflicted about something and keeping his feelings to himself.

When Lewis was right before him, he stopped, looking down. Arthur shuffled his feet slightly, still staring intently at his shiny, shiny shoes. Lewis raised a hand, gently taking Arthur’s chin between his fingers and guiding his face up. Amber irises stared at him and Lewis bent over, capturing slightly chapped lips with his own.

Lewis kept the kiss short and sweet but deep and full of meaning. He let Arthur go after only a moment, brushing his thumb over the lips gently as Arthur’s eyes widened in shock.

“You clean up good, Kingsmen,” he murmured.

Apparently, it was possible to turn a deeper shade of red. Arthur’s freckles were becoming more noticeable with every darker shade and Lewis was almost giddy with glee as his boyfriend slowly became more flustered. 

“Not that I’m not enjoying the show,” Vivi’s voice drifted over them. “But we were supposed to leave twenty minutes ago.” 

Lewis jolted, ice sliding down his back and dropped his hand from Arthur’s face, spinning. Vivi was leaning back against the couch, a small smirk on her face. 

“We’re late!” he cried. He reached down, lacing his fingers with Arthur’s, and pulled the blond along. “The limo driver is going to be furious!”

“You didn’t tell me you were getting a limo!” Vivi exclaimed, chasing after them.

“I wanted it to be a surprise.”

Arthur gave a small whoop behind him. When Lewis glanced back, the smile Arthur was sporting was dazzling.

“You really know how to treat a guy, huh?” he asked.

Lewis returned the grin with a small shrug as Vivi locked the door behind them. They made their way to the limo, still sitting in the driveway, and Lewis held open the door so Arthur and Vivi could climb in.

As Vivi stepped in the back, she pressed a quick kiss to Lewis’ lips. “You done good,” she muttered against them. 

The tall man smiled. “Now we just have to make sure Arthur keeps the suit on until we get home.”

“That’s gonna be one hell of a challenge,” Vivi chuckled. 

“Hey!” Arthur called from the back of the limo. “Weren’t you two just bemoaning the fact that we were late? Who’s dilly-dallying now?”

Vivi rolled her eyes and finished getting in the vehicle. 

Lewis followed suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lets be honest, I just wanted the visual of Arthur dressed up with his hair slicked back.
> 
> Also, Vivi in a dress. Gimme.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this yesterday, and that's what gave me the idea. Starting the year and fic off right!


End file.
